Teens

TEENS4TEENS

Teens 13-17 meet Tuesdays at 5-6pm starting Dec 6 in Billings Public Library’s TECH Lab in order to share experiences and show their support for one another in a safe space. This group will be facilitated by Utahna Payne, certified life coach and library volunteer. Conversations will be teen led and range from silly to important topics. Activities will be provided. All teens who join this social group will be accepted, respected, and welcomed. Registration is required.

Sign up here

Teen Book Club

November Teen Book Club- Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit Tie-In

Join us November 30, 6pm – 7pm in the TECH Lab to discuss Maus I, a story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself. A brutally moving work of art--widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written-- Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author's father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats.

We will be using the Library’s Book Club Kit, so copies must be returned. Copies will be available by registration only and are available to pick up from the TECH Lab starting November 1. Open to 13- 17 year olds.

Register here

Previous Teen Book Club Choices

The Weight of Our Sky, by Hanna Alkaf, Oct 2022
The Ghosts of Rose Hill, by R. M. Romero, Sep 2022
Ace of Spades, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Aug 2022 (not funded by Big Sky Reads Grant)
Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon, July 2022 (partially funded by Big Sky Reads Grant)
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, June 2022
Lore, by Alexandra Bracken, May 2022
Skyhunter, by Marie Lu, April 2022
Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo, March 2022
Challenger Deep, by Neal Shusterman, Feb 2022
Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn, Jan 2022
Lobizona, by Romina Garber, Oct 2021
Darius the Great is not Okay, by Adib Khorram, Sep 2021
Tokyo Ever After, by Emiko Jean, Aug 31 2021
Angel of Greenwood, by Randi Pink, Aug 10 2021
Witches Steeped in Gold, by Ciannon Smart, July 2021
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, June 2021

Teen Book Boxes

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our Teen Book Boxes program! Teens will receive free books, educational materials, and surprise items when they sign up each month. Limited supplies available on a first-come, first-served basis. Open to 11- 19 year olds.

December Registration is now full.

An email will be sent to the address provided on your registration when your box is ready to pick up, usually the first week of the month.

Keep an eye out for future announcements! If you have received a Teen Book Box in the past, please consider filling out this feedback form

View the books we sent out in previous months and download the educational materials from our READING page!

Teen Book Bundles

Not sure what to read next? The Teen Department is starting its very own reader’s advisory service called Teen Book Bundles! Young Adult book lovers can fill out a short form and the Teen Librarian will hand pick 1-3 books that you might like. Books will be from the library’s Young Adult collection so they must be checked out and returned. Open to library card holders 13 years old and above.

Bundles must be picked up within 1 week of email notification unless other arrangements have been made.

Sign up now

Free 3D Printing From Home

Use the TECH Lab's 3D printers by sending your designs to us and picking them up when they're finished!

What you need:

An internet device and connection.
Access to 3D making software. Create a free account at tinkercad.com or sketchup.com and view their training lessons. View the TinkerCad Introductory Guide and SketchUp Beginner's Guide created by our Teen Advisory Group!

Steps:

Create a design and pick a filament color. Email your 3D design as an STL file, your color choice from the list below, and your name. Note that 3D models will be limited to one color and sizes may need to be adjusted. Our printers can only print objects that fit within a 10"x6"x6" space. Paint is available upon request. Email Vanessa in the TECH Lab at justicev@billingsmt.gov with any questions.

PLA Filament: best used to reliably create high detail parts. It is best for cosmetic prints used in low-stress applications. It is perfect for beginners due to ease of printing. Dremel PLA is a high-quality PLA designed for reliability and ease of printing. It has a high softening temperature to minimize risk of nozzle jams while maintaining print quality.

PLA FILAMENT WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including acetaldehyde, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

— https://shop.dremel.com/3d-printer-filaments/